Stop-motion device for sewing-machines.



No. 653,938. Pat ented July ,7, I900.

W. N. PABKES. STOP MOTION DEVICE FHR SEWING MACHINES.

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STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Ajmlication filed Oct. 10, 1899.) (No Model.)

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No. 653,938. Patented July I7, I900. W. N. PABKES. STUP MOTION DEVICE FOB SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed pct. 10, 1899.)

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(Na Model.)

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Patented .IuIy l7, I900. W. N. PARKES. STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Oct. 10, 1899.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 4 (No Model.)

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No. 653,938. I Patented July 17, 1900. w. N. PARKES.

STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Oct. 10, 1899.)

{No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

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No. 653,938. I Patented luly'| 7,l900.

W. N. PARKES.

STOP IOTIUN DEVICE FDR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Oct. 10, 1899.) (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 6,

Nrrn- STATES PATENT Price.

\VILLIAM N. PARKES,

OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 653,938, dated July 17, 1900.

Original application filed September 12, 1898, Serial No. 690,777.

Divided and this application filed October 10, 1899. Serial No. (No model.)

T0 (0% whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WIL IAM N. PARKES, a citizen of the United States of America, resid ing at New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stop-Motion Devices for Sewing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

On September 12, 1898, I filed an application for a patent on a buttonhole-sewing machine, (Serial No. 690,777,) in which I illustrated, described, and claimed in addition to the other mechanism a particular form of stop-motion. p

This present application is (by requirement of the Patent Office) a division from the abovereferred-to application.

The object of my present invention is to provide a simple stop-motion which will automatically yieldingly and positively stop the machine at a high rate of speed with the least possible jar to the same.

It is also an object of this invention to provide improved means for tripping the stopmotion into action and returning it to its operative position after it has acted.

The nature and further objects of my invention will be best understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front View of a machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a rear view, and Fig. 3 a rear end view. Fig. 4 is a top plan View, and Fig. 5 a bottom plan View.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the machine on.

a power-table. Fig. 7 is a detailed View of the stop-motion trip mechanism looking from left to right when it is in its locked position, and Fig. 8 is a similar view of the same after it has been tripped. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a part of the feed ratchet-wheel through which the stop-motion is tripped.

Similar letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings the letter A designates the arm of the machine; B, the base; C, the needie-bar; D, the gate in which the needle-bar is mounted, and E the under or lower shaft.

At the rear end of the machine a feed ratchetwheel 1 is mounted on the end of a shaft 2, which is mounted in suitable bearings located back of the arm of the machine. On the forward end of the shaft 2 is mounted a gear wheel 3, which meshes with a gear-wheel 4:, which is mounted on a shaft 5. The shaft 5 is mounted in suitable bearings just below and back of the bed of the machine and has a beveled gear 6 mounted on its forward end, which meshes with a beveled gear 7, attached to the upper end of a vertical shaft 8, which is mounted in suitable bearings back of the needle-plate. On the extreme upper end of the shaft 8 is formed a disk 9, to which is ad- 3' ustably attached a cam 10, adapted to engage and reciprocate a slide 11, the forward end of which extends outwardly across the path of the needle and is suitably adapted to form the lower member of the work-clamp. T0 the rear end of the slide 11 is attached a bearing 12, to which is attached the upper member 13 of the work-clamp. The cam 10 is so constructed that when it is rotated it uniformly reciprocates the work-clam p,and when the feed-wheel 1 is rotated the said cam is rotated through the means just described.

The work-clamp has no lateral movement. It simply reciprocates longitudinally of the buttonhole. All the other movements necessary for the completion of buttonholes are transmitted through the stitch-forming mechanism, which I will now describe to an extent that it is thought necessary for an understanding of the workings of the machine. A grooved cam 14 is suitably mounted to turn on-a stud-shaft which extends from a bearing 15. The cam has a mutilated ratchetwheel16 attached to it,and a pawl 16* is adapted to engage the teeth of the said ratchet, and means are provided for carrying and actuating the said pawl. Two gaps 17 are formed in the teeth of the ratchet 16, which are of a greater extent than the longest stroke of the actuating-pawl 16*. The lower end of a lever 18 is in engagement with the cam 14 and the upper end,through a link connection,with an arm 19, which is attached to the rear end of a transverse shaft 20. To the forward end of the shaft20 is attached an eccentric 21, on which is pivoted the upper part of a lever 22.

The lower end of the said lever is in a usual manner in engagement with a switch-cam mounted on the upper shaft of the machine. One end of a connection 23 is connected to the upper part of the lever 22 and the other end to the needle-bar gate D. WVhen the machine is in operation, the lever 22 is of course vibrated, and through it and the connection 23 and the needle-bar gate D the needle-bar is vibrated.

It will be seen by referring to Figs. 1 and 2 that if the eccentric 21 is oscillated the vibrating position of the lever 22 will be changed laterally and through it and the connection between it and the needle-bar the vibrating position of the needle-bar will be changed laterally. The operation of this mechanism in connection with the needle-bar is as follows: During the stitching of the sides of the buttonholes one of the gaps 17 of the ratchet-wheel 16 isunder the actuating-pawl 16*, and consequently the said wheel and the cam 14, which is actuated by it, have no movement. The groove in the cam 14 is so constructed and the gaps 17 so located that when one of the said gaps is under the actuating-pawl the lower end of the lever 18 is to one side, and through it and the connection between it and the eccentric the said eccentric is to one side a sufficient extent to bring the vibrating position of the needle in a position to stitch one side of the buttonhole. As the stitching on one side of the buttonhole is completed a projection on the side next to the cam 14 of the gear-wheel 3 comes into contact with a projection on the end of the said cam and turns the same until the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 16 come under the actuating-pawl 16*. During the time that the pawl is in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel from one gap to the other the tacking at one end of the hole is completed andthe vibrating position of the needle is changed, so that it is in line with the opposite side of the hole to that in which it was in when the stitching of the same commenced. The cam 14 is constructed to produce this result through its action on the lower end of the lever 18 and through the connection between the said lever and the eccentric 21.

The stroke of the actuating-pawl 16* is of such an extent that the projection on the end of the cam 14 is turned ahead of the projection on the gear-wheel 3 during the tacking of one end of the hole to such an extent that the feed-wheel 1 turns nearly one-half around before the projections come into engagement again, and during this time one side of a buttonhole is stitched. During the tacking at the end of the hole the work-clamp is of course reversed by the movement of the cam 10.

The mechanism described up to this point and the cutting'device partly shown but not described are the same as employed by me and 1 fully described in the above-referred-to application-and form no part of my present invention. They are illustrated and described here for the purpose of disclosing a complete buttonhole-machine to which my stop-motion is applied.

I will now explain the stop-motion mechanism which is the subject of this application and the connections between the said stopmot-ion mechanism and the cutting and stitchforming mechanism.

A wheel 28 is rigidly secured to the upper shaft of the machine and near the end of the same. A second wheel 29, which may be driven by any usual means, is loosely mounted on the end of the upper shaft and has an extension 30, through which a hole passes and in which the end of the upper shaft extends. A cap 31 is placed into the outer end of the extension 30. In the said cap is located a stud 32, composed of suitable wearing material and having its outer end rounded, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. vided with a suitable friction-surface next to the wheel 29, and the wheel 29 is adapted to come into contact with the said friction-surface, and thereby clutch and turn the said wheel 28. Sufficient space is left between the cap 31 and the end of the upper shaft to allow of the necessary movement of the wheel 29 longitudinally of the said shaft. A friction strap 33, preferably consisting of a flat steel spring lined with leather, is fastened at its rear end by means of springs 34 to a bracket 35, which bracket is attached to the arm of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2. The forward end of the friction-strap is attached to a plate 36, which plate is adj ustably attached to a lever 37, pivoted on a stud 38, attached to the arm of the machine. On the upper extending end of the lever 37 is formed a portion 39, having an incline 40 in it, which is adapted to engage the stud 32, and thereby press wheel 29 into engagement with Wheel 28. The outer end of the stud 38 is threaded, and on the same is an adjusting-nut 41 and a lock-nut 42, which serve as a means for retaining and adjusting the lever 37 on the stud 38. The lever 37 is constructed so that it can move longitudinally of the stud on which it is mounted a sufficient extent to take up wear between the stud 32 and the incline 40, and the nuts 42 and 41, before mentioned, serve as a means for taking up this wear, as 'well as an adjustment for regulating the pressure between the wheels 28 and 29. The face of the wheel 28 is made fiat, so as to adapt it for engagement with the friction-strap 33. A coil-spring 43 is at its lower end attached to the upper and middle part of the friction-strap 33. To the upper end of the said spring is attached a stud 34*, the upper end of which is threaded and on which are nuts 44 and 45. Between these nuts is the extending end of a standard 46, in which is formed a slot 47. (Indicated in Fig. 2.) The threaded stud 34" and the nuts 44 and 45 serve as a means for adjusting vertically the spring 43 and through it the upper part of The wheel 28 is prothe friction-strap 33, and the slot 47 serves as means for adjusting the same in a horizontal plane at right angles with respect to the vertical plane in which the wheel 28 turns. The rear end of a coil-spring 48 is attached to the lower end of the lever 37 and the forward end of the said spring to a threaded stud 49. The said threaded stud passes loosely through the upturned end of a bracket 50, and nuts 51 and 52 serve as a means for adjusting and holding the stud 49 in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3. The free end of a latch 54, which is pivoted at 55, is adapted to engage by means of a notch 53* a catch 53, and thereby normally hold the lower end of the lever 37 against the strain of the spring 48.

lVhen the stop-motion is in its normal position, the catch 54 is in the position (shown in Fig. 8) of holding the lower end of the lever 37 against the strain of the spring 48, and the lever 37 is in the position (shown in Fig. 3) of holding wheel 29 into engagement with wheel 28 and the friction-strap 33 out of engagement with the wheel 28. \Vhen the stopmotion is tripped into action, the lower end of the lever 37 is drawn forward and the upper end back,which movement closes the frictionstrap 33 into contact with the wheel 28 and at the same time, by reason of theincline 40 on the upper end of the lever 37, releases the wheel 29 from engagement with the wheel 28. The spring 48 slants in a direction outwardly from the lever 37, as shown in Fig. 4, and thereby keeps the said lever in its outward position against the adjusting-nut 41.

The following means are provided for operating the ratchet feed wheel 1: A lever 57 is pivoted in a usual manner at 58 and may be operated by any usual means-for instance, by an eccentric 56, attached to the rear end of the shaft E and adapted to engage the said lever by means of jaws 5E) and 60, formed on the inner side of the same. In the face of the lever 57 is formed a curved way 61, in which the forward end of a link 62 is adjustably attached. The rear end of the link 62 is attached to the free end of a pawl-lever 63. A pawl 64, which is pivoted on the end of the lever 63, is adapted to engage the ratchet-wheel 1. The curved way 61 in the face of the lever 57 is formed from the center of the connection when the said lever 57 is in its extreme position toward the back of the machine. Thus it is seen that no matter where the end of the link 62 is connected in the way 61 the pawl 64 will always commence its forward movement at the same point.

In the teeth of the ratchet-wheel l is formed a gap 66, and on the outer side of the said ratchet is adjustably attached a segment 67, on which are formed teeth coincident with the teeth on the ratchet-wheel. The adjustment of the segment is circular, and the object of' said adjustment is to adjustably close the gap 66 in the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 1 with the teeth of the segment. The object of this construction of the feed-wheel will be explained later on in the specification. A stop-pawl 72 serves as ordinary means for preventing ret rograde movement of the ratchet-wheel 1.

The following means are provided for tripping the stop-motion into action: On the inner surface of the feed-wheel 1 is a lever 73, pivoted at 7 which is yieldingly held in an operating position by means of a coil-spring 74, which is located in a slot 74*, formed in the said feed-wheel. One end of the spring 74 is attached to a pin 75, which has a seat in the side of the ratchet-wheel 1., and the other end is attached to apin 76, extending from the end of the lever 73 into the slot 74*. The operation of this tripping device is as follows: At the finishing of the buttonhole the free end of the lever 73 comes into engagement with the outer end of the latch 54, and the lever is turned on its pivot by the movement of the feed-wheel 1 against the strain of the spring 74 until the pin 76 comes into contact with the end of the slot 74*. When the said pin comes into contact with the end of the slot, the movementof the lever on its pivot ends and the further movement of the feed-wheel causes the lever to lift the latch 54 until it is disengaged from the catch 53. When the latch becomes disengaged from the catch, the friction-strap 33 is closed into engagement with the wheel 28 through the action of the spring 48 on the lower end of the lever 37 and the connection between the said lever and the friction-strap 33. The wheels 28 and 29 turn in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Fig. 3. As the friction-strap is closed into engagement with the wheel 28 the wheel 29 is disengaged from the same by reason of the incline formed on the upper end of thelever 37. Then the friction-strap comes into contact with the wheel 28, the movement of the wheel, as well as the spring 48, acts to close the strap about the wheel, and the springs 34 allow the strap to turn slightly with the wheel against the tension of the springs. I find in practice that there is no slipping between the strap and the wheel when the former comes into engagement with the latter and that the machine is stopped absolutely at the same place every time. The adjustment of the tension of the spring 48 governs the speed of the action of the stop-motion in closing into engagement with the wheel 28, and thereby serves as a means for a fine adjustment for stopping the machine at a given point. example, if the rod 49 is so adjusted that the spring 48 is under a heavy strain the lever 37, and through it the strap 33, will be closed at a higher rate of speed than it would be closed with the said spring under a light strain. Thus it is seen that with a light tension on the spring 48 the machine goes farther after the stop-motion is tripped than it does when the tension on the said spring is strong. By this adjustment the stop-motion can be regulated instantly to stop the machine with the take-up exactly at its highest point, so that For - tached to the table under the machine.

the machine is stopped just at the finishing of a stitch, no matter at what speed it is running.

The object of the gap 66 in the teeth of the feed-wheel 1, the segment 67 for adjustably closing the same, and the formation of the curve in the way 61 of the lever 57, so that the pawl 64 under any adjustment of its stroke always commences its forward movement at the same point, is to insure the tripping of the stop-motion at the same time relative to the position of the needle-bar under different adjustments of the stroke of the pawl 64. To illustrate the working of this device, suppose, for example, the stroke of the pawl is adjusted so that it feeds three teeth of the feed-wheel at each stroke. Under this adjustment the gap in the teeth is adjusted, so that the extent of the same is the extent of two teeth. Now suppose the pawl at each stroke engages teeth a b c d, &c., it is seen when it reaches the gap that'it will just cross it and engage tooth e. Now if the ratchet is turned forward the extent of one tooth it is evident that the pawl will engage at each stroke teeth f g h, respectively. The next stroke, it is seen, will be over in the gap and the pawl will move forward one tooth in the gap, when it will come into engagement with tooth d and feed the wheel ahead the balance of its stroke, which is two teeth, and this movement puts the pawl again in en gagement with the teeth it was engaging previous to being turned ahead one tooth. The lever 73 is so located on the feed-wheel relative to the tooth e that at the beginning of the stroke of the pawl in engagement with this tooth the said lever 73 disengages the latch 54: from the notch 53* in the catch 53, and thereby trips the stop-motion into action. It is evident, remembering that the stroke of the pawl always commences at the same point, that under any adjustment of the extent of the stroke of the same the stop-motion will be tripped into action at the same point in the movement of the needle-bar or any operating part of the machine. It can also be seen that if the ratchet-wheel did not have the aforementioned gap in it the stopmotion would not always be tripped at the same point in the movement of the machine, and that it would all depend on chance whether the pawl was engaging the proper teeth or not.

The following means are provided for returning the stop-motion to its normal position and starting the machine: An arm 87 is formed on the lever 37, to the outer end of which is attached the upper end of a chain 88, which is at its lower end attached to a lever 89, pivoted at 90 on a bracket 91, which is at- On the outer end of the lever 89 is adjustably attached a knee-pad 92, which is adapted to be engaged by the knee of the operator. An adjustable foot-rest 93 is located directly under the knee-pad 92. This is adapted to bring the operators knee in the proper posi-.

tion for operating the lever 89 to start the machine.

The operation of starting the machine is as follows: The operator elevates his heel slightly, which in turn elevates his knee and brings the same into engagement with the pad 92, and thereby raises the outer end of the lever 89 and lowers the inner end of the same, to which the chain 88 is attached. As the chain 88 is drawn down the upper end of the lever 37 is turned forward until it reaches, substantially, the position shown in Fig. 3, when the latch 54 moves into the notch 53* of the catch-53, and thereby retains the stopmotionintoits normalposition. Asthismovement takes place the incline 40 on the upper end of the lever 37 pushes the wheel 29 into engagement with wheel 28, and thereby starts the machine.

The means herein illustrated and described for operating the work-clamp and the stitchforming mechanism, so as to complete the stitching of buttonholes and tack the ends thereof, is the subject-matter of a copending application, Serial No. 690,777, filed September 12, 1898, said application referred to at the beginning of this specification.

The work-clamp, partly illustrated, but not described, is the subject-matter of a copending application, Serial No. 733,227, filed by me October 10, 1899.

The cutter device, partly shown, but not described, is the subject-matter of a copending application filed by me January 24, 1900, Serial No. 2,570, and the means shown which adapts the cutter device to prevent the stopmotion from being returned to its normal position until after the cutter has been raised to its elevated position is the subject-matter of a copending application, Serial No. 199, filed by me January 3, 1900.

lVhat I claim as new is I 1. In combination in a buttonhole-sewing machine having a rotating part, a stop-motion comprisingafriction-strap, means adapted to yieldingly hold the said friction-strap in a position to engage the rotating part, a yielding device adapted to automatically bring the said strap into engagement with the said rotating part, and means adapted to automatically trip the said device into action.

2. In combination in a buttonhole-sewing machine having mechanism comprising a wheel, a stopmotion device comprising a strap encircling said wheel, yielding elastic means for holding said strap in an operative position around the wheel, and means adapted to trip the stop-motion device into action and thereby close the strap into engagement with the said wheel.

3. In a buttonholesewing machine, a shaft, a wheel attached-to said shaft, a friction-strap adapted to engage the said wheel, an adj ustable bracket attached to the machine, oneend of the strap attached to said adjustable bracket, a lever, the other end of the strap attached to said lever, and means for operating the lever so as to draw on the strap in the. direction of the rotation of the wheel and thereby bring the strap into engagement with the same.

4. In abuttonhole-sewing machine, a shaft, a wheel attached to said shaft, a friction-strap adapted to clutch said wheel, a plurality of springs attached to a stationary part of the machine and to which one end of the said strap is attached, a lever to which the other end of the said strap is attached, and means for operating the said lever to close the strap into engagement with the said wheel.

5. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, a shaft, awh eel attached to said shaft, a friction-strap adapted to engage the said wheel, a plurality of springs attached to a stationary part of the machine, a lever, a plate adjustably attached to said lever, a connection between one end of the aforesaid strap and the plurality of springs, a connection between the other end of said strap and the said plate, and means for operating the lever so as to bring the strap into engagement with the aforesaid wheel.

6. In abuttonhole-sewing machine, a shaft, a wheel attached to said shaft, a stop-motion comprising a friction-strap adapted to engage the said wheel, one end of the strap yieldingly attached to a stationary part of the machine, a lever, the other end of the strap attached to said lever, and a spring adapted to operate the lever and thereby close the strap into engagement with the aforesaid wheel.

'7. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, a shaft, a wheel attached to said shaft, a stop-motion comprisingafriction-strap adapted to engage the said wheel, one end of the strap yieldingly attached to a stationary part of the machine,the other end to a lever,a spring adapted to operate the said lever, and means adapted to adjust the tension of the said spring.

8. The combination in abuttonhole-sewing machine having a stop-motion device adapted to be tripped into action, of a tripping-piece pivoted on a wheel, said piece adapted to yieldingly engage the stop-motion device and trip the same into action, and means for rotating the said wheel.

9. The combination in a buttonhole-sewing machine, of a stop-motion device, means for tripping the stop-motion comprising an intermittently-rotating wheel having a slot formed therein, a lever pivoted on the said wheel adapted to engage the stop-motion device, and a spring located in the aforesaid slot, one end of which is attached to the wheel and the other end to the lever.

10. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, the combination of a stop-motion device,a ratchetwheel having a gap in the teeth thereof,a segment on which teeth are formed adapted to close the gapin the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, means for rotating the ratchet-wheel, and means intermediate the ratchet-wheel and the stop-motion device whereby the latter is tripped into action through the movements of the former.

11. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, the combination of astop-motion device, means for tripping the said stop-motion into action comprising a ratchet-wheel, a pawl and adjustable means for actuating the same, means in combination with the teeth of the ratchet wheel and the pawl, whereby the stop-motion is tripped into action at the same point in the movement of the stroke of the pawl under different adjustments in the extent of the stroke of the same.

12. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, a stopmotion, means for tripping the stop-motion into action comprising a ratchet-wheel having a gap formed in the teeth thereof, means for adjustably closing the said gap, a lever and means for vibrating the same, a pawl-lever, a pawl adapted to engage the ratchet-wheel carried by the said pawl-lever, and an ad= j ustable connection between the lever and the pawl-lever, whereby the forward movement of the pawl commences at the same point under different adjustments of the stroke of the pawl-lever.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM N. PARKES.

Witnesses:

EUGENIE P. HENDRIOKSON, GEO. W. EISENBRAUN. 

